The Faster You Fall
by Art-Of-Escape
Summary: No-one ever thought that the hidden village created in the land of fire, would end in fire. Literally. Two-shot. Sasunaru, if you squint.
1. Oh, Merciful Leader!

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto

Here's a new story! middle of the night inspiration type of thing...

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**The Faster You Fall**

_**Part 1:**_

**Oh, Merciful Leader!**

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The sun was high in the sky as a young raven haired man walked out of the bushes and onto the Hokage mountain or what was left of it. There, on the rock head of the fourth hokage stood a man. This man didn't move. Even though the raven haired one had been sure he had heard him. You could have mistaken the man as just a statue but statues didn't have bright, almost glowing blonde hair.

The raven haired man with the pale skin named Uchiha Sasuke walked slowly, but not hesitantly because Uchiha's never hesitate, over to the blonde haired man named Uzumaki Naruto.

To the average eye Sasuke and Naruto were like polar opposites. One had dark, hateful eyes, pale skin and midnight black hair and the other had bright, welcoming blue eyes with sun kissed tan skin and sunshine blonde hair. They even had drastically different attitudes. Their attitudes were surprisingly similar to their appearances. One was angry and hateful, an Avenger. One was warm and welcoming, a Friend. But if you look deeper they share a similar past. Lonely and unforgiving. Naruto often bought out Sasuke's.. 'non-avenger side' for lack of a better word. He made Sasuke feel things other than hate and anger. That was part of the reason Sasuke ran so far from Konohagakure. The once great now destroyed hidden village of the Land of Fire. He needed to stay on track he needed to sever his bonds and rid himself of the emotions which he believed would only drag him down.

As the once good-friends gazed down at the burning village of the leaf, Sasuke felt something akin to regret and guilt grip his small, black heart. See what I mean? Just Naruto's presence brings out unappreciated and unwanted emotions to the surface.

"Nar-" He bagan but was quite rudely interrupted by the very man he was addressing.

"When I was younger I always imagined my face carved upon this mountain, right next to my once great hokage father," His eyes were fixed on the broken and burning village below him. "but I guess that's impossible now…" He tore his eyes away from his home to look at Sasuke's stoic profile. Naruto's words had been like daggers to his heart. He needed to be forgiven. He needed this strange pain, to end. The guilt, to end.

Naruto had felt his need and complied to the dark haired boys wishes. After all he had always been a selfless person.

"But.. I forgive you."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as those words were said so clearly. So surely. He looked over to Naruto and cerulean blue met charcoal black eyes. Sasuke watched as the wind blew through Naruto's hair and over his face. The raven nodded curtly and turned his head back to the once beautiful village below. The orange clad shinobi next to him followed his gaze back down to the village where Sakura's body was laying. Dead. Sasuke felt no remorse for the girl. She was but a pest. Naruto on the other hand saw his dead team mate and felt the need to punish Sasuke in a way that was painful but not physically.

Contrary to popular belief Naruto was actually quite wise and witty when the time came but was just never recognised as the 'genius' he was (in his opinion). So Naruto chose his next words carefully, knowing they would effect Sasuke in ways that no one else could.

"When I was younger, only 7, I used to follow this other boy around. Like stalking now that I think about it. He never saw me or noticed I was there. But I noticed him, I noticed that he had everything I had ever wanted and dreamed of. He had a family. He had respect. He had skill. He also had an older brother. A caring, loving brother. I hardly saw this little boy outside with out his brother. One day I followed them to a training ground where his older brother was practicing with several kunai. Even though his eyes were closed and he threw the kunai at obscene angles. He hit every single target. Spot on. His little brother was so impressed and proud for his big brother he ran straight up to him and said 'I want to be just like you Aniki!' His older sibling just smiled and poked him in the forehead." Every word sent needles through Sasuke's chest.

"I guess you got your wish, neh? Sasuke?"

The raven almost flinched. Naruto's sky blue eyes rested on the place where the hokage tower should have been, he had thought he was going to spend the rest of his ninja career in that tower. He would have been a great leader. A _merciful_ leader. He supposed he should extend some of that mercy to Sasuke. Only because Sasuke was once a fellow shinobi of the leaf and had saved his life on more than one occasion before he chose a different, more darker path and became a rogue. One of things Naruto could never comprehend was Sasuke's obvious need for revenge. Why was it so important? But I guess this would be hard for someone like Naruto who chose forgiveness over revenge because if he had chosen revenge half the village would be dead before now for ruining his childhood over something he couldn't control.

"Dobe.." Sasuke said cautiously, unsure what he should say so he just stuck with that one word.. For now.

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Two-shot

Possible character death you have been warned!

Tell me what you think!

All Flamers feel free to raise your self-esteem by killing mine.

Ja!


	2. Even Monsters Need To Be Forgiven

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Ok here's Part 2. This is the final part.

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**The Faster You Fall**

_** Part 2: **_

**Even Monsters Need To Be Forgiven**

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It was silent.

It was a strangely comfortable silence. When he was younger he had always liked the silence Naruto brought. Even though when they were younger the silence was often scarce because of Naruto's inability to keep quiet. But this time, it was a long silence. Naruto looked as if he was in deep thought while Sasuke contemplated whether or not he should break the silence.

_Maybe I should just kill Naruto? _

Well he wasn't really posing any threat so he quickly dismissed the idea because deep down he knew the only reason he hasn't hit the bottom of the darkness in his heart was because Naruto was his only light. The only thing keeping him sane. What a disturbing thought.

"You left the village almost Six years ago and this would be the third time in those six years that I've actually seen you. Though I do favour this particular 'visit' over the others because you have not yet tried to kill me… although you were successful in killing my friends." He gestured with is hands down to the village. Naruto had broken the comfortable silence. He was starting to make Sasuke feel bad again. He was good at that. Damn him.

"But I forgive you…" Sasuke's head snapped up to look at Naruto.

Naruto had no idea _why _but he forgave Sasuke_._ He sighed. Now that he thought about it. The blonde had just forgiven, probably, the most evil **monster **to roam the ninja villages. He had just forgiven the man who had burned his home to the ground. He had just forgiven the man who had burned a hole in his heart.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you have pulverised the only place that would have welcomed you back with open arms and warm smiles. By pursuing your dreams or what you like to call 'ambitions', you have crushed the dreams and lives of countless others. You have destroyed their past, present and futures. Mine included."

Sasuke clutched the place over his heart. Or at least where his heart should have been.

Naruto moved to the very edge of the mountain and turned to face Sasuke. One inch backwards would be a plummet to certain death. At first Naruto's cerulean eyes just bored into Sasuke obsidian ones until the blonde opened his mouth and said in a monotone,

"You have single-handedly destroyed my home, my friends, my dreams and my future. You have taken away everything I had lived for…."

The pain in Sasuke's heart was burning now and a stray tear leaked out of his eye and made its way down his still stoic face.

"and yet… I have already forgiven you"

Those words were like instant relief. He stared with shock at the smiling face of the orange clad shinobi.

With one last look at the beautiful eyes of the Uchiha in front of him, Naruto closed his eyes and fell straight back towards the charred ground of his home.

Sasuke closed his eyes as he heard the _thump _of his once rival, once friend's body hit the floor.

_Thank you, Naruto. Even monsters need to be forgiven. _

_**~ THE FASTER YOU FALL,  
**__**THE HARDER YOU HIT THE GROUND ~**_

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**Finished. Phew. Hope you enjoyed it! I sure did. I was in the mood for angst. **


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